Carol's Chickens

For the last few days I have thought that Speckles was getting ready to lay. This morning she sat in the nest box for a few minutes.

At lunch time my husband was home before me and he said that there was no egg in the nest box but he could tell Speckles had been in there as she had pine shavings on her back.

I went up to take a look and I timed it just right. She was sat in the nest box with pine shavings on her back. Some of the girls like to flick the shavings on their back while laying their egg. It is a throw back to being in the wild where they would flick grass or leaves over their back to hide themselves.

I had left my camera in the storage cabinet so I grabbed it and was just in time to catch Speckles standing over her egg.

Speckles in the nest box with Honey looking in

Speckles is standing over her first egg

Her egg was long and large. The largest egg this year so far.

Butterscotch’s egg is on the left then Barley’s egg next, Peaches egg next and Speckles large egg on the right.

Again, from the left, Butterscotch then Barley then Peaches then Speckles on the right

That is a large egg from such a little girl. Speckles is our smallest girl. This is the first egg she has laid while with us as she was moulting when we got her at the end of July. We now have four out of eight girls laying.

Well done Speckles.

We recently found out about another farm near us that breeds bantams. It’s in Barkham, near Wokingham which is a half  hour drive from us.

I phoned Kirstin, the breeder and asked her if we could go and see her birds.

Her web site shows that she has serama, Dutch bantam and Japanese bantams among her breeds. I wanted Dutch bantams a few years ago but couldn’t find a farm nearby that bred them.

We wanted to see what she had for future reference so that when we are ready to add to the flock (if we have any losses) we will know where to go.

I researched the breeds that she had and absolutely fell in love with the seramas but unfortunately they are not cold hardy and need to be kept inside in the winter so this would make them unsuitable for us.

The Dutch bantams turned out to be bearded Dutch bantams and although they were cute I really prefer chickens that are not bearded. It isn’t a look that appeals to me. Also she only had black and I like pretty colours.

She didn’t have any Japanese bantams at this time which would be my preferred choice but it may be that when we are ready for new girls she may have some different breeds.

Both the Dutch bantams and the serama are really tiny and are smaller than my girls.

Bearded Dutch bantams

One little cockerel in the middle

These are tiny

Beautiful seramas

There is a white silkie in with them

My photos aren’t great but they give an idea of them. I think these are so pretty. They don’t breed true to colour so you never know what colours you are going to get.

It was very good of Kirstin to show us round when we are not yet ready to buy. She is passionate about her breeds and has won awards at shows for some of her birds. It was lovely to see her birds and it is good to know that there is another bantam breeder within a reasonable distance of us.

This morning, just like the day before yesterday, Peaches and Barley were doing a lot of shouting. I checked on them and Peaches was in the nest box with Barley watching from outside.

I grabbed my camera and was just in time to see Barley go into the nest box with Peaches.

Peaches and Barley in the nest box

Barley has a very red face and comb

Can Barley see out from under her comb?

There is Peaches egg

Peaches looks a bit squashed under Barley and her egg is just peeping out from under her. I removed the egg and could see that there was no doubt it was Peaches because it was the same long shape of her previous egg.

Peaches came out of the nest box and Barley settled in. I checked back about ten minutes later and when I lifted the nest box lid Barley came out shouting and there was her egg.

So now they are even laying their eggs together. They really are a very together pair of girls.

I have often said how together Peaches and Barley are. Where one goes the other goes. What one does the other does.

Since I have pruned the big bush in the run the girls seem to like to peck at the bark on it. This morning Peaches and Barley were pecking away together. I thought I would sneak up behind them and get a few photos.

Togetherness

Combs swaying

They peck away at the bark

You looking at me?

Peaches realises I am there. She then returns to pecking the bark. These girls do make me laugh.

The day before Valentines Day my husband bought me some daffodils. He said they were not my Valentine flowers (bless him) but that at only a pound he thought they would bring a bit of spring colour.

I decide to record their progress with my camera.

Daffodil buds

The daffodils are starting to open

The daffodils progress

Almost all of them are open

Last photo of the daffodils

Valentine Roses

The last two photos were taken on the same day. I have had the daffodils for seven days and the roses for six days. They both still look really good.

The roses are romantic and I love red roses but the daffodils are amazing value and fun to watch opening up.

Today we had our first “three egg day” of the year. This morning Butterscotch laid her egg about an hour later than the day before as is her pattern.

We had no lunches to deliver today so were at home for the nest box antics. There was a lot of shouting from Barley and Peaches.

At last I caught Barley in the nest box

Peaches was looking in at Barley

Honey was also looking in and Barley came out shouting

Peaches had been scratching in the nest box earlier so I thought she was getting ready to lay. Barley had been in the nest box several times but Peaches and Honey seemed obsessed with watching her which she didn’t like at all.

A girl needs a bit of privacy and as well as growling at them she came out of the nest box shouting.

For ages we could hear them shouting but I put it down to Barley wanting to lay and Peaches and Honey not leaving her in peace.

At lunch time they were shouting again so I checked the nest box once more.

At the next spell of shouting I found this

Peaches was standing over an egg and Honey was looking in.

Look how red Peaches face and comb is

I removed the egg and Honey and Peaches left the nest box but Peaches returned and sat again. I now wasn’t sure if the egg was Barley’s and Peaches had gone in to lay her egg as well or if it was Peaches and she hadn’t realised that she had already laid it. I knew that I would be able to tell if another egg appeared.

Later Peaches was back in the nest box

When I next checked both Barley and Peaches were out in the run and there was a long oval egg in the nest box.

I then knew for sure that the first egg was Barley’s and this one was Peaches. Barley’s first egg had been this shape too and like last year Peaches has laid her first egg two weeks after Barley’s first egg.

Today’s three eggs

Butterscotch’s egg is on the left, Barley’s egg is in the middle and Peaches egg is on the right.

So now we have three girls laying. I think Speckles will be next, her comb is a lovely red colour and she is more vocal than usual. I am loving having all these eggs. Well done girls!

My husband bought me this egg holder for Christmas and this is the first time it has been filled. We have just had eight eggs in seven days. Six of those are Butterscotch’s and two are Barley’s.

A full egg holder

Barley’s eggs are the one at the back on the left and the one in the front, second in from the right. The eggs are in the order they were laid starting at the tail of the hen on the right and circling to the left until they meet up. Butterscotch’s eggs have a pinkish tint and a satin sheen whereas Barley’s are white with a matt finish.

A different view of the eggs

This morning Peaches was scratching around the nest box for a few minutes, scattering the pine shavings out, so I don’t think it will be too long before she starts laying. Her comb is now completely red whereas recently it still had a pink tip.

I think once we have both Barley and Peaches laying as well as Butterscotch the egg count will really make a difference and I won’t be buying any more eggs. Hurrah!

Yesterday afternoon it was lovely and sunny for a change and we had finished work by lunch time. We decided to make the most of it and my husband set to work tiding the garden while I did the same in the chicken run.

I dug the run over as it’s been so wet lately. The girls love following my feet and the fork in case I turn up any worms. I have to be so careful as they have no fear of my feet or the fork.

I then pruned the big hypericum bush. It had grown up to the roof panels as well as outwards and through the weld mesh to outside and also had a lot of dead wood at the back.

I filled two bin sacks with it and now there is much more light getting in to run.

Meanwhile my husband had trimmed the plant that runs along our front path and put it in the run as a treat for the girls. Up until this point they had been gathered round me while I pruned but suddenly decided this was more interesting.

Some green plants for the girls

The girls loved this

The girls help me prune

I have pruned the big bush

This will let more light in

It was late afternoon when I took these photos but it will be much brighter earlier in the day.

I finished off by sweeping the chicken patio and washing the food and water dishes. Every thing is as good as it gets in the chicken run and I think the girls enjoyed the afternoon activities.

Whenever I lift the lid to the nest box to see if there is an egg some of the girls come running to have a look too.

Yesterday it was Honey and Emerald’s turn.

Honey and Emerald check out the nest box

They both have pink combs

Later in the day Barley was missing and I could hear scratching in the nest box. I peeped in and she was settled so I went off to get my camera. I am trying to gain evidence of which girl is laying.

By the time I got back Honey and Peaches had disturbed Barley and she came out of the nest box shouting.

Barley is cross

This was the photo I ended up with. Barley is tossing her comb in annoyance while Peaches keeps her company anyway.

I thought that at least when I found an egg later I would know that it would probably be Barley’s.

Later when the guys came to do the work in the run I checked the same nest box. Topaz stepped out when I lifted the lid and there was an egg. Now I still can’t be completely sure but I think it is most probably Barley’s egg and Topaz just went in to sit on it. She came out quietly with no egg shout.

So far I have credited four eggs to Barley and two to Topaz but I now have my doubts. I think that all six were probably Barley’s eggs. Looking back at when Barley and Peaches  first started laying, Barley started two weeks before Peaches and laid at about the same rate of the eggs we are getting now. I can’t be sure without catching them in the act but I think I am going to alter my record to Barley laying all six eggs.

Only time will tell.

Recently I had been thinking that the fence in the chicken run was the most vulnerable boundary. It is our next door neighbours fence and we had the run built using this as part of the boundary. We knew our long standing neighbours really well and they were fine with this.

They moved out a few years ago and we have had two short stay neighbours since and now a third couple. They are expecting their first baby in May so we hope they are here to stay. However we got to thinking that if they ever decided to replace a fence panel our run would then be open. Also at the bottom it is dark and damp and if it rotted that would also leave our run compromised.

We came up with the idea of cladding it on our side with marine ply boards like we have on the inside of the patio area. We arranged for our usual guys to come and do the job for us. Apart from building the chicken run for us they have been back many times to extend and improve. I said this would be the last chicken run job we would need but I have probably said that before.

Inside the existing fence we had sunk vertical house tiles then buried horizontal house tiles on top of chicken wire to make the run predator proof and rat proof. This meant the marine ply boards only needed to go to the ground.

This afternoon the guys arrived to do the work.

The chicken run fence as it was before work began

First the batons go on to the fence

The first sheet of marine ply goes on

The second sheet goes on

While the third sheet was being cut to size the girls moved in to see what was going on. They are all in the photo below but Toffee hardly shows up as she is by the bush.

The girls inspect

The third sheet goes on

The job is completed and Barley inspects

The girls were not at all bothered by the work going on today and were as usual being very nosey.

We are really pleased with this as we feel it makes the run safer and stronger. In the summer we will invite our new neighbours to see the girls but as they work long hours and the days have been short we haven’t yet had the chance.

Thank you guys for a job well done.